The Future Awaits
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Chapter 9
At breakfast the next morning, Tommy asks Tor if we can wait until after lunch to leave, and if Mike and he can have the car. Tor tells him it's no problem and hands him the keys. He and I go back to our room to pack.
"Wonder what that was all about?" Tor asks.
"He's going back to his cabin to see if he can find anything."
"I thought he told Mike he had to do it alone."
"If you remember, that was before he knew we wanted him, so he felt alone. Now Mike's his brother in his mind, so it's acceptable for him to help."
We go back down to the lobby for coffee and read the newspapers, a luxury we don't often take time for. It's almost noon when I look out the window and see our car pull up. I don't remember ever seeing two filthier human beings in my life than the two who get out. They are black from head to toe. Tommy is clutching a plastic supermarket bag. When we walk out to meet them, Tor's relieved to see the boys covered the car seats in plastic.
"Into the shower with both of you, then we'll have lunch." Tor pulls the plastic liners from the trash cans in our rooms and hands them to Mike and Tommy. "Put those filthy clothes in these."
I told Tor not to ask anything about their little excursion, but our way home Tommy brings it up. "Thanks for waitin' for me this morning. There wasn't much left, but Mike and me found a couple of things I wanted bad, cause they was things my grandpa had."
"I glad you found them, Tommy. I know how it is not to have something of your past." Tor says.
"You do?"
"Yeah. It hurts." Tor shakes his head. "Let's forget it."
It's past midnight when we get home. With Mike and me taking turns with Tor driving, we have made the trip across the state in one day. It's almost noon when we finally roll out of bed, so we eat a large breakfast, then Tor takes Tommy up to the institute to use the office computer that's connected directly to the university's main frame. This way he can register Tommy for summer classes and make the changes necessary for us to assume responsibility for him.
"Man, I see what you mean about Tor," I overhear Tommy say to Mike when he returns. "He gets things done fast an' he don't take nothin' off nobody. Just like he done with the Chief."
Mike grins. "Yeah. He's kind of bossy sometimes."
The next two days are a whirlwind of activity for Mike and me, trying to decide what else we want to take with us to the flat. Fortunately, there's not a lot, but Mike insists on having his piano. Tommy helps him disassemble it and wrap it in bubble plastic for the trip. It's when I see Tor watching us with a sad expression it really sinks in that we're going to be parted and I'll be sleeping alone.
When the boys take the piano to Mike's car, I sit down beside him. He hugs me so hard I think for a minute he's going to break my back. "Damn it, Drew, how'm I going to manage without you?"
"I don't know I'll manage without you either."
"At least you'll have Mike and Tommy. I'm going to be alone. For two cents I'd quit this job and go with you."
"We'll have weekends together, and once classes start you'll be busy."
"I guess, but I'm going to miss the hell out of you and the kids."
"Oh, I almost forgot. Remember to take the bed Tommy's been using back to Martha. Maybe Gary will help you. Then you might look around to see if you can find one. The 4th is a long weekend, so we'll be coming home for that and Tommy will need a place to sleep."
"Yeah." He gives me a weak smile. "Even if it Mike's bunk was big enough, I can't see them sleeping together like we do."
The boys come back in. "Couldn't get my piano in the boot, dad, so we put it in the backseat. I'll ride back there with it. I think we've got everything now."
We walk out to the car together. "Damn it, Mike! I'm going to miss you."
"I going you miss you too, dad, but we'll see you next weekend, won't we?"
"Damn right you will." For the first time since Mike was a little guy, Tor pulls him up in a hug and swings him around. When he sets Mike down, he kisses him on the forehead. "Study hard, babe."
"I will."
Tor starts to hold out his hand to Tommy, then grabs him in a hug. "You study hard, too."
"I will, Tor. You take care of yourself."
"I plan to. Ah, hell, I gotta treat our sons alike." He kisses Tommy on the forehead.
Tommy stiffens for a moment, then smiles, but Tor's already hugging me again. "I love you."
"I love you, too." We share a long kiss before I climb in the car and Mike pulls out. All the way to our new home I'm wondering if Tor's going to be okay without us.
The boys and I spend the afternoon bringing up things from the storage area and getting settled in. I get keys to the lobby door and our flat from the manager and give them to the boys with a warning not to lose them. If one of us does, then I'll be paying for new locks and keys. I also mail a set of keys to Tor.
Without Tor holding me, it takes me a long time to get to sleep. The next morning I take the boys to the campus with me and leave them to get Tommy's textbooks while I find a maintenance man to open my office. Joynes has left his keys on the desk for me. I look through the notes he left, and check the lab for supplies, only to find he's been kind enough to have everything ready. My summer schedule is not bad at all, one lecture and a lab, but combined they'll fill the entire morning from nine until one. I'm pulling the lecture notes I'll need when classes begin day after tomorrow and stuffing them in my briefcase to look over tonight, when I hear running in the hall.
Mike and Tommy burst into my office. "Need some money, dad," Mike says.
"For what?"
"Didn't have enough for all the books."
"I thought Tor had gotten them for you."
"He did, but Tommy needs his."
"Sorry, Drew, I don't have no money."
"Don't worry about it, we'll set you up an allowance. I'm ready to leave, so I'll go with you. After we get the books, we'll get something to eat, then you guys are going to the supermarket with me. There's nothing to eat in the flat."
When I get to the counter with the books and supplies Tommy needs and hand them to the clerk with my faculty ID, she looks at it, then at me. "Where'd you get this?"
"What do you mean? It was issued to me."
She raises her hand and beckons. In a second there's a burley security guard standing by us. "Watch them while I get the manager," she says to him.
"Now just a damn minute!" I say, but the guard tells me to shut up.
"Who the hell do you think you're talking to?"
"You, kid. Now shut up."
Mike's snickering, but Tommy's eyes are wide with astonishment. "That's Dr. Torrence. He's a professor."
"Sure he is. And I'm president of the university."
Tommy starts to move, but the guard grabs his arm. "Where you think you're going?"
"To get one of the books he wrote to show you. They're right over there."
The manager comes running up. "What …" he starts to say, then looks at me. "Oh, my God! Doctor Torrence! I'm so sorry." When he hands my ID back, I remember I've seen him at a conference. "I wish they would put photos on faculty ID's, then this wouldn't happen." He turns to the clerk. "Ellen, this is Doctor Torrence from the institute. He's taking Doctor Joynes' place. Please remember him."
He turns back to me. "I do apologize, Doctor Torrence, but Ellen was right to be suspicious. We've had several faculty ID's stolen recently, then used here to charge some large purchases like computers, so we've had the people on the registers question everyone they don't recognize."
"I wasn't aware that I could charge things here."
"Oh, yes. If you do, you will receive a statement from the bursar's office with your cheque, or you may have the payment withheld."
"I see. Can my sons use the account?"
He shakes his head. "Sorry. It's a courtesy extended to faculty only."
"Very well. You guys got everything?" I ask the boys.
"Yeah."
I pay and we walk out. Tommy begins to snicker. "See, I told you," he says to Mike.
"What?"
"Like when you told me he was your dad and I said he was too young."
"You kids start showing some respect for your elders, or I'll turn you both over my knee."
"Don't beat me, dad, please," Mike teases in mock fear, but Tommy looks terrified.
I give him a whack on his behind. "I'm teasing, Tommy."
He gives me a little smile. "Yes, sir."
"You'll get used to us."
We're all loaded down with bags of groceries when we get back to the apartment building from the market. I get pissed when a woman pushes past us going in and lets the door close in my face. Tommy shifts his load enough to get his key out and open the door.
When we get in the lobby, she's talking to the guard on the desk. "There are not supposed to be any students in this building." I hear her say.
"What apartment are you in?" The guard calls to us.
"Six A," I yell back. "Check your file."
The lift door opens just then and I hustle Mike and Tommy in ahead of me, getting a rush of satisfaction when the door closes before she can get to it. "You can just wait, bitch!" I mumble, but Mike hears me.
"Dad!"
"Sorry, babe. She pissed me off."
He grins. "Me, too."
While we're putting the groceries away, Mike holds out a bottle. "Can we have spaghetti tonight?"
"If you want." I'd bought sauce, mushrooms, and a large bag of salad greens. "Think you and Tommy can fix the sauce?"
"Sure. Brown the hamburger and stir in the sauce and mushrooms then add some oregano. I can do that."
"Be sure you cook the meat slowly, or it'll be tough. Remember the last time?" That time he got impatient and cooked the meat over high heat. He likes a lot of meat in the sauce, which is fine, but I'd never eaten such chewy sauce before.
"I'll fix the salads," Tommy says, so I leave them to it, while I look over my lecture notes.
"Soup's on," Mike yells some time later.
The table's set, and everything is ready. One of them has browned a loaf of French bread to go with dinner. Mike has opened a bottle of rosé wine and Tommy has made coffee.
"Looks good, guys."
Mike gives me an impish grin. "You eat, you gotta clean up."
"That's Tor's idea, not mine." I see Mike's face fall. "Okay, babe, you and Tommy cooked, so it's only fair I do the dishes tonight, but we're going to have to work out some division of labor around here. I'll need to see how my time's going after classes start."
"I'll do 'em, Drew," Tommy says.
"I want you both to stick around while I load the dishwasher, so you'll know how, especially with the pots and pans."
"Damn, I forgot we had a dishwasher," Mike says in an aggrieved tone. "I thought I was getting away with something."
"Not so smart, were you?" I swat him on the behind. "Let's eat."
After we're seated, Mike fills my wineglass, then looks at me with a raised eyebrow.
"One glass." Of course he'll fill it to the brim.
"Thanks, dad. You want some, Tommy?"
He shakes his head.
"Aw, come …"
"Michael." He knows I'm not happy when I call him that.
"Oh! I'm sorry, Tommy."
"'S okay."
To be continued...
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